Have you ever left a social event, driven home, and felt a swirl of emotions wash over you? Even though you smiled and interacted—or maybe nervously shied away from the crowd—most of the evening, you did not feel this. You suddenly feel “yucky,” angry, lonely, depressed, or like you are disgusting and unlovable. It’s almost impossible to describe any one feeling or even label those you can distinguish. In that moment you are swept away in an emotional state; you’ve felt it before but have no clue what caused it or why it’s happening again.
If this experience sounds familiar, you may be experiencing an emotional flashback. An emotional flashback involves a surge of emotions with no apparent cause or a disproportionate response to an event. A person is often unaware of why he or she is feeling these emotions or how to resolve them. During an emotional flashback, it is common to experience a mixture of feelings such as shame, rejection, hopelessness, abandonment, self-loathing, helplessness, or depression. This flashback can vary in duration and intensity (Walker, 2013). Emotional flashbacks overwhelm the system and can seem as if there is no end or way out of distress.
These flashbacks are being triggered by something. Emotional flashbacks are a common symptom of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) or developmental trauma. Just as a trigger can cause someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to have a visual or auditory flashback, triggers can cause an emotional flashback for someone with CPTSD. Our central nervous system picks up a sight, sound, smell, sensation, or situation that reminds our body of a past experience. The body responds immediately with the same surge of emotions felt in our past. These feelings may not have words, since developmental trauma can be based on pre-verbal experiences or during early childhood when we did not have the ability to communicate or comprehend what we felt. Because our autonomic nervous system bypasses our prefrontal cortex and sends the signal to our amygdala during a perceived threat, it takes time and practice to manage and override the body’s learned response.
Fortunately, emotional flashbacks can be managed. Healing from the past and desensitization of triggers with interventions like mindfulness, somatic psychology, CBT, EMDR, or Brainspotting can slow and alter the body’s response. A therapeutic relationship offers a unique restorative opportunity to confront unhealthy beliefs about yourself, practice self-compassion, and learn healthy relational skills. If you experience emotional flashbacks, please reach out to us at 615-377-1153, and we will connect you with one of our therapists to work toward your goals.
Resource
For more information about Emotional Flashbacks, visit the CPTSD Foundation’s site here.
Reference
Walker, P. (2013). Complex PTSD: From surviving to thriving. Azure Coyote.
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